1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to a multi-use container for an engine maintenance kit and, more specifically, to such a container as used in the first instance for transporting engine tune-up components, and then in subsequent instances for funneling and collecting oil during an engine oil change process, and finally containing waste oil after the tune-up process.
2. Related Art
Small internal combustion engines are used in many applications including lawn mowers, generators, and the like. Properly serviced and maintained, these engines will last for many years and perform at peak efficiencies. Maintenance schedules are published by engine manufacturers, but have been found to be largely ignored by the vast majority of small engine owners and operators.
The small engine maintenance schedule typically includes several aspects. The crankcase oil must be changed regularly. Some manufacturers suggest oil change intervals after the first 5 hours of use and every 50 hours thereafter or once a season. The air filter should be changed regularly; for example, every 25 hours of operation or once per season. The spark plug should be changed at the recommended interval, which may be on the order of every 100 hours of service or once per season. Fuel additives should be intermixed with the engine's gasoline at the beginning and then again at the end of each season. Some small engines are designed to replace an oil filter at specified intervals.
For the sake of convenience, some retailers have assembled the basic components of a small engine maintenance kit into a single package. The components typically include a bottle of fresh, unused oil (typically 20 ounces or 0.6 liters for small engines), a spark plug, a bottle of fuel stabilizer, and an air filter. Optionally, the kit may include a spark plug wrench. On appropriate engine types, an oil filter may also be included in the kit. These components are, in most cases, packaged in a disposable cardboard container. Once the tune-up components have been used, the cardboard container is discarded. Thus, the cardboard container has but one purpose, and that is to house the kit components during shipping, handling, and point of sale.
Most small engine owners are reluctant to maintain their engines according to the manufacturer's recommended schedules. In part, the reason for this is a perceived inconvenience in the oil changing process. Many owners do not know where the oil drain plug is located or where new oil is filled into the crankcase. Many owners do not readily have an oil pan at hand, which is needed to collect the waste oil, nor a convenient way to transport the waste oil to an appropriate collection or recycling center.
The prior art has proposed various convenience kits in addition to those described above. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,910 to Pollacco discloses an engine oil container that includes an accessory funnel and drip pan. U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,870 to Farris discloses an accessory funnel that fits over the neck of a standard one quart sized oil bottle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,457 to Islava et al., discloses an engine oil change kit that includes a drip pan, gloves, and other accessory items. U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,149 to Peoples discloses a dual purpose engine oil container that includes a funnel but no drip pan or other tune-up accessory components. U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,652 to Bowland discloses an oil change kit including oil, filter, and drip pan but no funnel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,411 to Garland discloses an oil change kit including oil, filter, and drip pan but no funnel.
Accordingly, there exists a need in this field for improved convenience so that the do-it-yourself community will more frequently perform small engine tune-ups. Furthermore, there exists a need for an improved maintenance kit marketing strategy that will encourage do-it-yourself owners of small engines to perform maintenance at regularly scheduled intervals.